Simply Put, Thank You
by MoonytheMarauder1
Summary: Minerva finds a surprise waiting for her on her birthday. Fluff.


**A/N: Hey y'all! This was written for Hogwarts. :)**

**Ritual and Ceremonial Magic Task 12: Write a fic featuring one of the following themes: sacrifice, passion, anger, beauty, or happiness (I chose happiness)**

**Word Count: 1475**

**Enjoy!**

Minerva walked into her office later than usual one morning, but then again, it was her birthday. She was allowed to sleep in an extra half hour. She only feared that a student had tried to come in early to get some homework help just to discover that she wasn't there; it was this thought that had Minerva walking briskly down the hall.

Luckily, there was no student in tears outside her door. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she unlocked the door and slipped inside, then dropped her bag on the desk.

Or she was about to, before she saw the parcel sitting on it.

Surprised (and more than a little wary), Minerva picked up the parcel. It was wrapped in bright red paper and tied neatly with gold ribbon: Gryffindor colors. She spotted a tag and flipped it over, reading the carefully printed note—carefully printed so she wouldn't be able to discern the author, she was sure. Many of her students knew she had a knack for identifying handwriting.

_Professor McGonagall, _

_Don't ask how we know, but happy birthday! We thought you might like these, and really hope you don't already possess them. And as much as they're a birthday gift, they're also a thank you for putting up with us all these years, and for being such a fantastic professor. _

_Your four biggest fans._

Minerva lifted a hand to her mouth, her green eyes a bit moist. With a shaking hand, she pulled the ribbon loose, then tore the paper away. Four large tomes were revealed, and Minerva's eyes widened upon discovering that they were ancient texts that she'd expressed passing interest in during some of her lessons. How her students (of whom she had a good guess who the senders were) had managed to get their hands on these, she had no idea. On a whim, she opened the cover of the first book, only to find a message written on the inside.

_My dearest Minerva,_

_I'm leaving school this year, as you know, but never fear! Our love will burn just as strongly while I'm outside these walls. Your quick tongue, majestic wand movements, and impressive ability to put Slytherins in their place will never be far from my mind._

_You don't need to put me in detention for that, professor. I'm only joking, really. _

_Anyway, I'm supposed to write something heartfelt, but I've never been very good at that. I'll say that you've done a great job of keeping me in line—no one can do that better than you. I've learned a lot from you, and I'll never forget what you've taught me. How could I? I wrote down the steps of spells enough in detentions when you figured regular lines weren't effective enough. _

_Really, though, I might have to write you when we're out of school. I'll make the letters as scandalous as possible, so you have a proper excuse to send a Howler back—it'll be just like I'm still there with you! _

_Sirius Black_

Minerva, hand still clamped firmly over her mouth, sank into her chair as she re-read the letter. She knew she would cry if she dwelled on it, so she set the book carefully aside and moved on to the next one.

It, too, had a message scrawled inside.

_Dear Professor,_

_I spent a long time on this letter, and I'm sorry if it's not very good. It's hard to put what I feel into words, but I'll do my best._

_Thank you for pushing me. It was bloody hard at times, and sometimes I hated you for it, but I managed to accomplish an act of Transfiguration that I never would have thought possible because you made me do better. So, thank you. _

_You're a great teacher. You've probably heard that before, but it's true, so I wanted to say it. You're a great Head of House, too, and have helped me a lot in many ways over these past seven years. Your students are lucky to have you._

_Peter Pettigrew_

_PS—Happy birthday!_

Minerva's hands were trembling as she set the book down. An overwhelming feeling of gratitude and happiness was flooding her; it was rare for a student to reach out to her to tell her the impact she' d had on them, but it touched her heart each time. And while Peter Pettigrew had never been one of her brightest students, he'd been one of the most hardworking.

She opened the next one.

_Dear Professor McGonagall,_

_Happy birthday! I hope your day is a good one, and that we don't disrupt it too much. We'll attempt to be better behaved than most days in order to celebrate. Who knows? That resolution might even last until noon. _

_I hope you enjoy your gifts, and that we've all bought the correct books. They were a bit tricky to locate, but we loved the challenge. I also hope you don't mind that we decided to get you something; it's a bit unconventional, maybe, but we felt that you're worth it. _

_Speaking of, thank you for always making me feel worth it, professor. I don't think I have to tell you how afraid I was to attend school and how out of place I felt at first. Your support and quick defense of my right to be here has always meant a lot to me. I'll be graduating this year, but your influence is lasting. _

_I've taken up half the page, so I'll try to finish this up. Thank you for all you've done—teaching me, fighting for me, and making my school years as normal as possible. I fear I haven't expressed my gratitude to you enough, and I hope this makes up for some of it. _

_Once again—have a wonderful birthday!_

_Remus Lupin_

Minerva's cheeks were damp, but she refused to fix that until she'd read the last note. She pulled it towards herself slowly, then opened it.

_Dearest Professor McGonagall,_

_So this is it! We're about to be released into the world. It's a terrifying prospect, isn't it?_

_Well, don't worry. I'm going into it eyes wide open, and that's largely thanks to you. I'm not egotistical enough to think that you haven't helped me mature these past couple of years, and I recognize that I was completely spoiled when I first arrived at Hogwarts. You were the one to give me a wake up call, the first to call me out on my misbehavior and give me more than a slap on the wrist… and that's why you quickly became my favorite professor. _

_I solemnly swear that I'm not just saying that._

_I sincerely hope I've done well in your class. I feel like I have, and I'm proud of the work I've done this year—I hope you are, too. You've pushed and challenged me, reprimanded and rewarded me—you've taught me more than any other adult has in more than just academics. _

_That's what spurred me to give you something today. It can't compare to what you've given me, and I'm surprised I'm being this candid, even on paper, but you deserve everything I can give you. You're the best teacher I could have hoped for, and when the time comes, you'll make an excellent headmistress. If I have children to send to school one day, they'd be safe under your watch._

_Thank you for everything, professor. I hope to talk to you soon._

_James Potter_

Silently, Minerva closed the book. She smiled through her tears, almost laughing at her actions. She'd known the boys were graduating, of course, but it was only now hitting her how much she'd miss them.

For seven years, they'd run about the halls causing mayhem, disturbing the peace, and making her dole out more detentions than she'd ever given a group of students before.

For seven years, they'd impressed her with their inventiveness, made her laugh when no one was there to witness, and become endeared to her.

She took off her glasses and wiped at her eyes, grateful that classes wouldn't start for another twenty minutes; she needed a moment to compose herself.

Taking a deep breath, Minerva got to her feet and gently closed each book. She'd devour the contents later, but she couldn't imagine the information inside was any more valuable than the notes the boys had written. She crossed the room and placed each on a bookshelf, a small smile on her face.

She touched, unbelievably so. She was close to each of those boys, but she hadn't imagined that they'd ever do anything like this. Then again, everything about those four was unpredictable.

Nothing in the world could have prepared her for them, but she was so glad she'd had the privilege of teaching them.

Minerva let her fingers trail over the book spines fondly.

It was a happy birthday, indeed.


End file.
